1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to new microorganisms, which grow with pyrazine, and hydroxylate pyrazine derivatives of the general formula: ##STR3## wherein R.sub.1 means a hydrogen atom or a halogen atom and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are the same or different and mean a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 alkyl group, but R.sub.1, R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 do not all simultaneously mean hydrogen, as well as to a process for the production of hydroxylated pyrazine derivatives.
2. Background Art
Hydroxylated pyrazine derivatives are, for example, important intermediate products for the production of methoxyalkylpyrazines. Methoxyalkylpyrazines are essential components of aromatic substances [Maga and Sizer. J. Agric., Food Chem., 21, (1973), pages 22 to 30].
So far, only chemical processes for the production of hydroxylated pyrazines have been known, such as, the one described by Karmas and Spoerri, in J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 74, (1952), pages 1580 to 1584, in which, for example, 2-hydroxy-5-methylpyrazine is synthesized starting from methylglyoxal and glycinamide hydrochloride. But this process has the drawback that the product is greatly contaminated.
In addition, studies on the biological catabolism of 2-hydroxypyrazine are described in Matley and Harle, Biochem. Soc. Trans., 4, (1976), pages 492 to 493.
A biotechnological process for the production of regiospecific hydroxylated pyrazine derivatives, starting from substituted pyrazine derivatives with microorganisms, which grow with pyrazine, is not known.